Share “Kim Mulkey: Losing a game, losing your...”

Kim Mulkey: Losing a game, losing your dignity

The Brittney Griner era ended Sunday night in Oklahoma City. Griner, Baylor’s 6-foot-8 giant who is to women’s basketball what Wilt Chamberlain was to men’s basketball 55 years ago, went out with class. Baylor lost to Louisville 82-81 in a massive upset, but Griner played maybe not well by her standards, but fiercely and with pride and with dignity.

The same cannot be said of her coach. Kim Mulkey is a polarizing figure. But there can be no polar opinions on Mulkey’s actions Sunday night after Louisville’s victory. Mulkey embarrassed her sport.

Mulkey asked media to query her about the officiating, then ripped the officials for a variety of calls and the overall tone of the game. “The game started out way too physical,” Mulkey said. “I thought all three of (the officials), if they go past this round of officiating, it’ll be sad for the game.”

You want to know why leagues and organizations and conferences discipline coaches and players who criticize officiating? That’s why, right there. Because they will lose their minds and question the integrity of the game. Which is why Mulkey should be in line for a hefty fine.

Mulkey’s actions weren’t limited to the press conference. When Baylor was whistled for an offensive foul late in the game — not too long after Louisville coach Jeff Walz was given a technical foul for sitting on the scorer’s table — Mulkey went nuts. She tried to rip off her jacket, though it didn’t come off all that easy. She appeared to be out of her mind. No joke, I thought she was going to disrobe right there on the court.

Mulkey is a great coach. Of that there is no doubt. And I know coaches are so sold-out to their ballteams, that emotions quickly take over in the heat of games. So I’ll give her a pass for the on-court theatrics, though I would have given her a technical, too. Losing your cool should be the standard definition of what warrants a technical, and Mulkey lost her cool.

But the press conference tirade, 15, 20, 30 minutes after the game, whatever it was, is inexcusable. That’s not emotions taking over. That’s entitlement. That’s nonsense. Coaches have been losing big games for decades, and many of them are still peeved well after the game, often at the refs. But most of them, male and female, have the grace to lose with dignity.

Mulkey did not. She’s a great example of why certain rules are necessary. Left unfettered, you can’t trust some coaches to act right.

37Show / Hide Archive Comments

The following comments are archived from the original publication of this post

Billon Apr 06, 2013 @ 7:26 pm

I'm not a Baylor fan, normally couldn't care less about them, but that style of "let 'em play" is destroying basketball. I don't care if it was repaying Baylor for past similar play or not. I haven't watched the NBA for years because if officials called half the infractions they should, they'd hyperventilate in the first minute. It's come to college ball now, where in instances such as this game, basketball skills become secondary to how much you can get away with in physically beating up your opponent. Superb basketball skills are still there, as evidenced by the shooting of Louisville, but they wouldn't have won without the mugging of Griner. I realize the ball game has evolved since my days of playing under the peach basket, and physical play is now part of the game. But this one overreached.

stevenjon Apr 05, 2013 @ 8:34 pm

Tired of the Baylor whining. Yes, Louisville played "streetball." Streetball changes basketball from a game about who is genetically gifted with height, to who is genetically gifted with heart. And once it became about heart, Baylor was weighed, measured and found wanting. Watching as the game progressed you could see Baylor was typical of a bully who has had their way too long. Griner's body language was terrible and beaten. She wanted no part of a game about heart. If it had been a fight she would have bitten somebody's ear just to get out of there. And Mulkey (who is and has been on earlier occasions) acted disgracefully. Whined and complained and threw a hissy about how unfair it is that the refs didn't force the other team to back down as so many other refs had before. Like the title was some sort of birthright. This set of refs "let 'em play" and her team wasn't up to the challenge.

Mr. Lonnieon Apr 04, 2013 @ 3:48 am

THE ONLY WAY MULKEY CAN KEEP HER JOB IS IF SHE TALKS ANOTHER GIRL INTO ANOTHER SEX CHANGE OPERATION.

Mr. Lonnieon Apr 04, 2013 @ 3:40 am

GRINER COULD HAVE GONE TO UCONN AND LEARNED HOW TO PLAY BASKETBALL! NOW THAT SHE IS GONE, THANKFULLY WE'LL NEVER HAVE TO HEAR FROM MULKEY AGAIN. TWO MORE LOSING YEARS AND BAYLOR WILL FIRE HER.

Mr. Lonnieon Apr 04, 2013 @ 2:48 am

Obviously, Mulkey was out coached at her own game. PLEASE... You Baylor cry babies stop your whining! Go look at the other games Baylor played this year. Baylor plays like a bunch of thugs! The Louisville coach figured out how to beat them: Play as physical as they do! Stop blaming the refs! About twice as many fouls were called against Louisville. Baylor got beat at their own game! WAH WAH WAH WAH

Gregon Apr 04, 2013 @ 2:00 am

As Bill alluded to, watching Louisville play caused me to have flashbacks to the days Kelvin Sampson coached the OU men's team. I never could quite figure out if I was watching a basketball game or wrestling match. The only hint was the orange round ball. Everything else didn't offer up any clues.

Gregon Apr 04, 2013 @ 1:52 am

I've personally wittnessed refs that either didn't care, were lazy, incompetent or combination of all three who personally changed the outcome of games. Having a daughter that played basketball in 6A here in Oklahoma from 2008- 2012, I saw it game in and game out. From a basketball purist point of view, it was difficult to stomach. A bad call here and a bad call there, cost us at least 3 or 4 wins just last season. You always think that the bad calls will even out during the course of the game but the terrible calls against us always seemed to strike either against our player that we couldn't afford to sit because of lack of depth or a critical call at the end of the game that gave us no chance to recover. The story about former NBA official Ed Rush should give you some insight into most refs mindset - they have the God complex with a starving ego to boot. Like I've always said, chasing 16-22 year old kids up and down a basketball court or football field doesn't increase one's self worth. It just means you value them and more pointedly, your own self interest more than you do your own kids or family.

Robon Apr 03, 2013 @ 9:48 pm

As I recall, Tramel wanted OU to forfeit the timekeeper game to Texas Tech. Bob Knight raised hell about 3 days after the game ended on a 0.2 second clock issue.

Mr. Lonnieon Apr 03, 2013 @ 8:19 pm

For all you cry baby Baylor fans, try being honest! Baylor has been dishing out the elbows, punches, and tackles all year long. Kudos to Louisville for standing up to Baylor. Mulkey should shut up because she has coached physical technique to all her players. Baylor did not deserve to win. They are the dirtiest players in all of women's college basketball. Period.

Billon Apr 03, 2013 @ 4:24 pm

Watched the game. Had no dog in the fight, but was disgusted by the beating Griner was taking and the deliberate elbows, and one swing at her I witnessed. I wound up rooting for Baylor, and I never root for a team from Texas. Horrible officiating. I think Mulkey was over the top in her actions, but she nailed it on the poor performace by the refs. Basketball in general has denigrated to a street fight much of the time in the men's game. It looks like the women are now there too.

Melindaon Apr 03, 2013 @ 3:33 am

Horrible article!! You have never been a coach that works endless hours helping your athletes get ready for games and knows what it feels like to be robbed when officials will not make calls. Basketball should be street gang fighting like Louisville was allowed to do especially in first half. Men coaching girls teams seem to think they can get by with this. Mulkey cares about her kids and was taking up for them!!

Mr. Lonnieon Apr 03, 2013 @ 12:56 am

Griner's biggest mistake was not going to Uconn where she would of had a coach who could teach her how to play basketball. Geno is the best coach in basketball and Griner missed a chance of a life time. I heard Griner chose Baylor because of location.... Big mistake.

cougarcoachon Apr 03, 2013 @ 12:39 am

Great article! As a fan of women's basketball at all levels, I was sickened by Mulkey's actions. I am curious to know if she seriously thought the officials were biased or if shejust wanted something to complain about. Because if anything, the officials were making more calls in favor of Baylor than Louisville. The espn analysts seemed to want the audience to think otherwise because of griner's name, but anyone who watched that game with an open mind could see that the refs had nothing to do with griner's poor performance. I just hope this game finally allowed people to see that griner isn't even the best player on her own team. Hopefully mulkey can at least realize that sims is the better plater, but after seeing the kind of coach she is in that game I don't know. Again, thanks for a good article.

Mr. Lonnieon Apr 03, 2013 @ 12:35 am

Mulkey is a very poor sport and a bad example of how a college coach should act. Besides, Louisville beat Baylor at their own game. I watched the Baylor/Uconn game earlier this year. Griner tossed Stephanie Dolson to the floor twice. Mulkey coaches her teams to be physical and now she can't take getting beat at her own game. We won't hear from Mulkey anymore now that the mangirl is gone. Without Griner no one would even knoww who Mulkey is!

Jim Denmanon Apr 02, 2013 @ 9:42 pm

I was dissapointed at how the coach who should be teaching dignity and pride for a game well played by both teams rather than making a miserable spectical of herself and her staff as cry-babies.

Kyle Toalon Apr 02, 2013 @ 8:23 pm

Yes the game was physical but that is not the first time that has been tried against Baylor, just the first time it was successful. Give credit where credit is due, to the Louisville coaches and players who executed the perfect game plan. As far as Ms. Mulkey's post game comments: A. She dodged her own game mismanagement issue of not having a timeout late to set up her defense with 9 seconds left with a nonsequitur about the players being surprised a foul was called? B. The charge call which occurred right in front of her was a 100% correct call and contrary to above posts was immediately ackowledged as correct by the broadcast crew. C. Why, as a coach of the most dominating player in women's basketball do you have her coached to run/chase the ball out of position down the court on Baylor's subsequent possession instead of having her WAITING at the basket to make her play at the rim. C. The subsequent inevitable out of position hacking foul was a good call as stated by the announcers and even Kim her own self during her press conference when a reporter told her as much and she acknowledged she did not see the play but magically somehow knew it was a bad call and should therefore lead to the being excused from the remainder of the ncaa tournament. Fortunately for the game of basketball the refs will continue on in the ncaa and Baylor was the party excused from the remaining festivities. To state otherwise is to believe that two late, 100% correct calls should have been miscalled/noncalled in the other teams favor so as to allow that team a better, but not guaranteed, chance to win. Whining about general physicality is nonspecific. Ms. Mulkey's critical comments were specifically limited to those two calls and the review is in on them. She was wrong.

DDon Apr 02, 2013 @ 8:13 pm

I think Mulkey has been setting the standard for crazy since she arrived at Baylor. I remember watching her play Texas Tech in Lubbock and stomping around in 5" heels CRYING because a call didn't go her way and TTU won. She's been outta her mind for YEARS...BUT, her girls love her and play hard for her. As far as Griner is concerned, I think her comments after the game were pretty classless. SHE didn't feel she played well enough and SHE let the Baylor Nation down?? C'mon Brit, there are 4 other women on the court with you and one person doesn't make a team. The WHOLE unit played terrible, complacent and Louisville out-hustled on both ends and it was obvious which team wanted it more. Congratulations to Louisville and good luck next year to Baylor......

garyon Apr 02, 2013 @ 7:33 pm

Grinner was mauled the entire game and many obvious fouls not called, but bottom line was mulkey was out coached badly.

Gurnon Apr 02, 2013 @ 5:01 pm

The beating that griner took? seriously? he's been beating others even worse throughout his college career. You Baylor fans need to get over the fact that you lost and will continue to lose. What goes around comes around for that she/man freak!

Jeffon Apr 02, 2013 @ 4:48 pm

I am a former basketball referee. I recorded the game so I often replayed some plays. I know officiating is difficult however I could not believe the beating that Griner took. I discussed the officiating with a current referee who also was appalled. I know coaches should not speak out against the referees but I surely did before Kim.

Cristyon Apr 02, 2013 @ 3:55 pm

I was at the game and it was the most ridiculous thing I have seen. They were hitting, shoving, elbowing, grabbing Griner's jersey and nothing was being called. I don't think Mulkey was out of line at all. That being said, Baylor didn't come out ready to play. They still should have won despite the lack of calls. The energy just wasn't there.

Ryanon Apr 02, 2013 @ 3:32 pm

Refs were bad. Doesn't excuse the way Mulkey acted. Never seen a coach act so unprofessional. I was embarrassed to be a Baylor Bear fan. And the refs weren’t the reason Baylor lost by the way. Credit L'ville, The Bears had plenty of chances down the stretch. Hope they fine Kim a good amount, she deserves it. Has nothing to do with her being a woman either. If coach Drew acted like that I would hope he was fined aswell.

Johnon Apr 02, 2013 @ 3:28 pm

Just another hack who went digital because he couldn't cut it in the real world ... hey, Berry (is that straw or goose), I got a digit for you!

Tomon Apr 02, 2013 @ 3:05 pm

It would have been embarrassing for the women's game had Mulkey NOT called out the officials for that horrendous effort. And, again for the sake of the game, she is correct. Those clowns should not work another tournament game. I'm certain their post game peer evaluations will be horrible. I don't recall Mulkey saying Baylor lost because of the officials. Mulkey knew she would get fined and decided it was worth the price. I agree. And for those citing the foul disparity, the game plan was clear. "Foul her. They can't call them all," and they didn't. And, please, can we stop with the schoolyard "she's a dude" comments?

Tracyon Apr 02, 2013 @ 2:58 pm

Such SOUR GRAPES from the columnist and the comments. Louisville's coach said his strategy was that they had nothing to lose so make it a street game (not just saying they would be physical)and the officials let them do it. Did you not see the game? Did you not SEE the ESPN half-time highlights and HEAR their complaints about the lack of fouls being called on Louisville? Do you ever recall ESPN commenting on the poor officiating and showing replay after replay like that before? Did you not see the re-play of the taunting to Brittany not called that they highlighted more than once? Even the announcers commented on it. Did you not see the last charging call on Baylor and hear the announcers state it was a bad call? How about the Louisville coach all over the official in the beginning and then complaining on camera about the officials calling fouls? "If I have any girls left - look eight fouls." Where is his fine????? He was all over the place complaining (unjustly based on the ESPN replays and comments) and I do not see anyone commenting here on his behavior. I DO give the Louisville coach credit for coaching his team to do exactly what he said. If the only way you can win is three pointers (was GREAT performance) and fouling and taunting defensively (even if 3 of your starters foul out)- go for it. Make the officials do their jobs...... too bad for women's college basketball, Baylor and the NCAA they did NOT. Let the Baylor coach pay her fine, get off her back and pay more attention to the games and network coverage. All this attention can only improve the officiating so we don't have more street games in college arenas. Thank you OU fan for your right on comments.

samon Apr 02, 2013 @ 2:20 pm

Just because she jumped up and down on the sideline doesn't mean she got after the officials at the end of the game, she barely said anything to them, they deserved to be pointed out, that was such a late call. The first half officiating was the worst ever. They mugged Griner the whole half, pushing, shoving, slapping, hitting - that is not basketball and they are very lucky there wasn't a fight on the floor and that is what the Louisville coach was trying to do- bait Griner into a fight and get her kicked out. They could have fouled out every player that was guarding Griner in the first half. Just a disgrace for officials to allow that to go on. And really disgraceful for the Louisville coach to have his team, push, shove, hit, slap, etc. That is not basketball in anyway.

Monicaon Apr 02, 2013 @ 1:58 pm

I'm glad they lost. They have survived on Griner's coat tail all 3 years. If Griner isn't a man, then why wouldn't she take the physical test to play in the olympics. Strange. Next year will be interesting.

Phil Garrison Apr 02, 2013 @ 1:42 pm

I thought Kim let let the officials off easy, she should have listed them by name and DARED them to every make the mistake of accepting a game in which she has a team playing. They put both teams in harms way, had there been a brawl on the floor it would have been the officials fault. Louisville was called for 24 of the 72 fouls that they committed. They threw Griner to the floor on more than one occasion and hit her in the face on other occasions. Griner was called for the foul where she hit the girl in the face but the same can't be said on the other end of the floor. I have great respect for the Lady Raiders program and for the Lady Bears program. I went to Louisiana Tech so I know how hard everyone works during the season. The officials took that away in this game. Baylor was only called for half of the fouls that they committed. They should have had 28 fouls called on them but it was abuse what the officials allowed to happen on that floor.

Rachon Apr 02, 2013 @ 1:41 pm

Kim Mulkey is a classless human being. She not only yells at the refs, but also heckles the players of the opposing team. Trash talk between players is normal, but the COACH going after the players?! C'mon. Pull it together Mulkey. She has been known to make players cry before because of her condescending, inappropriate, comments. That should NEVER be allowed. Mulkey is not only an embarrassment to women's basketball, but to humanity in general.

Rogeron Apr 02, 2013 @ 12:59 pm

Kim Mulkey and her sore losing tirade was just being discussed here in Knoxville, TN, home of real championship womens basketball. She should be fined at least $50,000 and she should make her coaches teach the remaining team members how to defend the 3-ball better. Mulkey thought she and her team, led by a man, was gonna just breeze though and grab a national title.

Gurnon Apr 02, 2013 @ 12:44 pm

You should have seen Mulkey during football season, mainly the playoff game in which her sons team lost to Cedar Hill. She was all over the stands, yelling and insulting the refs on the field and even made comments about players on the other team. A very classless person indeed.

ulyssesmsuon Apr 02, 2013 @ 8:29 am

I say a $100,000 fine and a 2-month suspension to begin next season. How about it, NCAA?

Sooner but not Berry Fanon Apr 02, 2013 @ 3:52 am

Berry, it's good to know your living up to your reputation as a hack journalist as it's obvious you did not watch the game much less ESPN's half-time coverage. I am a sooner fan that hates Mulkey and was rooting against Baylor / Griner however I actually watched the entire game and I can honestly say last night's one sided officiating was horrendous! The ESPN half-time package did a great job showing multiple uncalled fouls against Griner including 3 elbows & 1 punch thrown at her just feet in front of the officials. Once the refs started calling all the Hack-a-Griner fouls, 3 louisville players fouled out and Baylor quickly caught up. If actual fouls had been called in the first half alone the game would have been completely different since the 3 Louisville players that were committing the fouls and scored 50% of Louisville's points would have been sitting on the bench most of the game. As for foul counts 24-14 should have been more like 48-14. I can't remember any OU game that Paris twins had to deal with so many blatant hard fouls not called yet Sherri went off on the refs a few times trying to protect them. I still hate Mulkey, she's loud and obnoxious, however if there was ever a time for a coach to completely loose it and call out the refs post game… This game was it! I only hope is if this ever happens to the Sooners that Sherri would go off far worse than Mulkey!

FreeDropon Apr 02, 2013 @ 1:56 am

I read somewhere that the refs called 23 fouls on Louisville and 14 on Baylor. C'mon, Mulkey.

Mike in Adaon Apr 02, 2013 @ 1:34 am

I agree 100%. Can you imagine what would have happened if the refs had teed her up there at the end?

Elizabeth Stantonon Apr 02, 2013 @ 1:22 am

Oh come on Berry, there are plenty of male coaches who have trashed the officials in post game tirades and the sport has survived. Mulkey is one of the reasons women's basketball is so entertaining - indeed, she was mad and out of line but she didn't disgrace women's basketball.

MORE FROM NEWSOK

by Berry Tramel

Columnist

Berry Tramel, a lifelong Oklahoman, sports fan and newspaper reader, joined The Oklahoman in 1991 and has served as beat writer, assistant sports editor, sports editor and columnist. Tramel grew up reading four daily newspapers — The Oklahoman,...